Corn-planter



(No Model.)

T. ls. GRANDSTAFF. CORN PLANTBR.

No. 554,262. Paten-ted Peb, 11, 1896.

Illl'al im" llllllllllll AL v @1a/idem# ATTORNEYS 'UNTTED STATES PATENT OEEicE.

THOMAS SPENCER GRANDSTAFF, OF BEIIAM,'1?EIINSYLVANIA.

CORNwPLANTER.

` SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,262, dated February 11, 1896.

Application filed October 18, 1895. Serial No. 566,103. (No model.)

To all wI/om/ it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS SPENCER GRANDSTAFF, of Beham, in the county of Vashington and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improved Corn-Planter, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to cornplanters,and particularly to that class thereof known as walking planters, which are drawn forward by a horse and guided by a man the same as a plow.

The object of this invention is to provide a planter of this description which shall be exceedingly simple in construction and efficient in operation, and also durable in all its parts.

Another object is to provide an improved means for operating the dropper-plate and seed-hopper, whereby a positive motion of said hopper-plate is obtained.

Another object is to prpvide improved means for throwing th e plate-operating mechanism out of gear, so that said plate will not be operated, as when 'crossing roads, turning at the end of the furrow, dmc. and a still further object is to provide an improved construction of hopper and seed-plate whereby the operation of said plate is facilitated.

Vith these various objects in view my inw vention consists in the peculiar construction of the various parts and the novel manner of combining or arranging said parts, all of which will be fully described hereinafter, and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this specication, Figure'l is a side elevation, partly in section, showing one form of my improved planter. Fig. 2 is a top plan view, the hopper being removed. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the dropper-plate and operating mechanism. Fig. 4c is a detail View of a somewhat modified form of construction.

In constructing a planter in accordance with the principles of my invention I employ a main frame composed of parallel beams A,

. between which is arranged a platform B,

plate K provided with two openings 7n, which are alternately brought into register with the opening Z) to drop the grain. This plate K is arranged within a ring or band L bolted to the platform B, and to prevent any upward movement of the plate I provide inwardl fprojecting lugs L', attached to the band or ring L, which prevent any such movement.

Adjacent to the openings tand upon the upper face of the plate K is arranged a curved boss or guide 7c', which contacts with an operating-plate M, attached to the ring L and projecting inward as far as the outer edge of said boss or guide, said covering-plate being intended to cover one of the apertures kwhen it is brought into register with the aperture b, so that only a definite quantity of grain is discharged at definite intervals, as it will be understood that were it not for such a plate there would be a continuous discharge so long as the apertures 7c and b were in register..

In order to oscillate the dropper-plate, I provide a pitman N, connected at its rear end to the under side of the said plate, and near its forward end said pitman is provided with a depending lug n, a shoulder n', and a cut-out portion n2 between said shoulder and lug, the purpose of which will be explained later on. The extreme end of the pitman is reduced con siderable as shown at nand works through a pivoted guideeblock O, attached to the top side of beam near the forward end.

The blade or feather P is attached to the aXle of the front wheel, and as said wheel is moved forward said plate is adapted to iirst contact with the depending lug n, and move said pitman forward, and then contact with the shoulder n and through the pitman rearward, said pitman remaining stationary dur- IOO ing the time the blade is moving from the lug to the shoulder and from the shoulder to the lug.

'When it is desired to throw the pitman out of operation, it is only necessary to swing the pivoted guide-block to one side or toward the beam. In order to do this, I employ a handrod R, which extends rearward within reach of the operator.

In Fig. ai I have shown a somewhat modified -form of operating-gear, which consists in providing a series of inclined projections near the periphery ol the draft-wheel, which proj ections alternately engage the opposite ends of a forked rocking lever, connected with the drop-plate, and for the purpose of throwing` said lever in and out of engagement I employ7 a second lever and hand-rod to move said lever backward ont of the path of the inclined projections.

It will thus be seen that I provide an exceedingly cheap, simple, an d durable form of planter, which can be used for planting corn, cotton or other grain, or, if desired, could be employed as a fertilizer-distributer.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a corn-planter the combination of the main frame and hopper, of an oscillating dropper-plate, pitman-rod connected therewith, said pitman-rod having the depending lug` n, and the forward]y-projecting shoulder n, and the cut-ont portion fn? intermediate said lu g and shoulder, the forward end of said pitman-rod being reduced as at n, the pivoted guide-block and operating-rod connected therewith, the operating-shaft, the feather mounted thereon, said feather being adapted to move the lug` and pitman forward, and also press the shoulder and pitman rearward, substantially as shown and described.

2. rlhe combination with the main frame and hopper of the ring upon which said hopper is secured, the dropping-plate pivoted in said ring, the lugs L attached to said ring and projecting over the edges of the plate, the covering-plate, and the curved boss or guide formed upon the upper face of the dropplate near the center of the same, and adapted to bear against the inner edge of the coveringplate, and the pitman for oscillating' said plate, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I afix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS SPENCER GRAXDSTAFF.

Witnesses:

GEO. W. MCCAMMON, V. B. OURSON. 

